What better way to celebrate National Principals Month than NASSP naming Thomas J. Dodd of Colorado the 2017 National Principal of the Year! In a surprise ceremony at his school, Dodd was presented with this honor after 11 years of working as the principal at Lesher Middle School in Fort Collins, CO.

Under Tenreiro’s leadership, Cumberland High School has seen increases in academic achievement, graduation rates, and the number of students gaining admission to some of the best colleges and universities in the country. (more…)

State principals of the year from around the country traveled to Washington, D.C., for a week of networking, professional development, and meetings with their members of Congress during NASSP’s annual Principal of the Year Institute. The week­ (September 15–18) provided principals with the opportunity to network with peers, learn about federal education legislation, and advocate for their schools and their profession.

During a professional development day, the principals took part in an Edcamp session, where they spent time discussing and sharing ideas about various topics including increasing student voice, improving math outcomes, and teacher evaluations. The principals then traveled to Capitol Hill the following day to meet with their members of Congress. (more…)

Patricia Fry (@pshsprincipal), principal of Plymouth South High School in Plymouth, MA, reported for duty 10 years ago to find that behavioral issues were prevalent, the school’s accreditation was at risk, the building was overcrowded by approximately 400 students, and the failure/dropout rate was a major concern. By empowering teachers and encouraging consistency, Fry was able to decrease inappropriate student behaviors and make academics a priority. Making college and career readiness a key goal, she also created an incentive program to encourage students to take AP classes—which resulted in the program’s significant growth and Plymouth being selected as an AP Honor Roll district in 2014. (more…)